أَلا حَدِّثا مَولاي ذا المَنزل الرَحبِ

بِأَنّي وَأَعوان الزَمان عَلى حَربِ

Oh, speak to me, my master of abundant grace,

Of how I and allies of time wage war

وَبُثّا لَهُ ما بي عَسى تَستميله

عَواطفه اللاتي بِها الفَوز للصحبِ

And relay to him what is within me, hoping to win him over

With affections through which the comrades triumph

أَخو الهمّة العليا إِذا ما ندبته

لِنَصري يَقول النَصر إِنّي ابن ذا النَدبِ

Brother of lofty ambition - if I call on him

For my aid, he says: “Victory, I am the son of that call!”

وَما زالَ لي كَالوالد البرّ رَأفةً

إِذ الوَلَد القَلبيُّ كَالوَلَد الصلبي

And he has not ceased to be as a kindly father to me

When a son of the heart is like a son of lineage

وَمَولىً حَباه اللَه أَسرار حِكمَةٍ

بِه اِعتَزَّ عَن جَمع الكَتائب وَالكُتبِ

And a master God has gifted with wisdom’s secrets

With it he was too proud for hoarding books and tomes

لِسان يُفيد العلم وَالحلم وَالهُدى

وَوَجهٌ يريك الخَصب في سنة الجدبِ

A tongue imparting knowledge, patience and guidance

A face showing you fertility in a year of drought

لَهُ الفَضل إِرث عَن أَبيه فَإِنَّهُ

تَلقّاه بِالتَعصيب وَالفَرض وَالحجبِ

To him belongs the merit - inheritance from his father

For he received it with coronation, obligation and exclusion

مَكارم أَخلاق صَفَت عَن شَوائب

فَكانَ هَنيأً وردها لِذَوي اللبِّ

Virtues of character cleansed of blemishes

Thus he was blessed, and brought them to the sound of mind

فَلاذُوا بِقطب المَجد في فلك التُقى

وَهَل فلك إِلّا وَدار عَلى قطبِ

So take refuge in the axis of glory in the orbit of piety

Does any orbit but revolve around an axis?

لَكَ الحَمد مِنّي يا سميَّ محمّد

يَسرّك نَظماً فَهوَ كَاللؤلؤ الرَطبِ

To you be thanks from me, O sublime Muhammed

Whatever verse delights you is like moistened pearls

وَحَسبك كسب الحَمد في الناس وَالثَنا

فَذاكَ وأيم اللَه مِن أَشرَف الكسبِ

And your earning praise among people and eulogy suffices you

For that is, by God, among the most noble gains

وَيا أَيُّها المَولى الَّذي نور قَلبه

فِراستهُ عَمّا بِقَلبي لَهُ تنبي

And O master whose insight, his perception

Informs him of what is in my heart, it reveals to him

أَرى حزبكم بِالقُرب قَد بَلغ المُنى

وَلَم يَك حَظّي بَعدَ فَرضي سِوى النَدبِ

I see your party has reached its purpose

While my share was no more than being called

فَيا لَيت شِعري ما الَّذي ميزوا بِهِ

أَما أَنا يا مَولاي مِن ذَلك الحزبِ

So would that I knew what distinguished them

Am I not, my master, of that party?

ألستَ مَلاذي في الأَنام وَعُمدَتي

وَمُعتَمدي يا عُمدة السادة النُجبِ

Are you not my refuge among men, and my pillar,

My reliance, O pillar of worthy nobles?

لِمَن أَلتَجي إِن ضاقَ صَدري وَأرتَجي

بِهِ فَرَجاً إِلّا إِلى صَدرك الرَحبِ

To whom do I flee if my patience wears thin,

Hoping through him for relief but your abundant grace?

إِذا لَمحتني مِنكَ عَين عِنايةٍ

بَلَغت المُنى وَاللَه يا سَيّدي حَسبي

If an eye of your care glimpses me

By God, my master, I will have attained my hope!